One of the biggest challenges for most cover bands is how to not look and sound like every other band out there. It’s very easy to fall into ‘The Cover Band Commodization Trap’. When you do, you leave your prospective client with no other reason to make their decision on apart from what you cost. That’s bad news for you. Here’s how to overcome the problem and beat your competition to the booking EVEN when you’re more expensive.

The Musicians Union in the UK have a number of initiatives ongoing that are there to help you achieve a fairer deal for your performance. In this podcast we run through all of these in detail as well as covering some key factors involved in how to value yourself as a performer.

Over the last few years websites that cut out the middle man ie agents have become increasingly popular. They allow you to showcase your band directly to thousands more potential clients than your website could ever achieve. I speak with Neville Thurlbeck of TalentGB.com and get under the skin of how we can best use these sites to our advantage. He shares some great tips and tricks.

The Journal of the Musicians’ Union quizzed me about my thoughts on how cover bands can promote themselves more effectively online. Facebook is great but they can wipe you out in a heartbeat. Read more…

How did your gig diary look by the end of 2013? Are you happy with your gig numbers? Do you want more? Most musicians I speak with want more. Here’s a few things to think about if you’re going to put your gig numbers on warp drive in 2014.